Masonry reinforcement



United States Patent O 3,348,354 MASONRY REINFORCEMENT William H.Bartlett, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assrgnor to Dur-O-Wal National, Inc., acorporation of Iowa Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,284

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-693) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reinfor'cernentfor a masonry wall construction having a pair of cylindrical, metal,parallel, spaced side rods and a pluralty of cross rods extendingbetween the side rods. The side rods are provided with a plurality ofaxially aligned spaced grooves opening 'radially outwardly and having aninner substantially planar rectangular bottom surface extendingchordally to the axis of the side rod. The side walls of the grooves areangularly inclined, and the Width of the bottom surface is approximately.024 inch with the maximum depth of the grooves being at leastapproximately .014 inch. The grooves provide effectively positive slipprevention of the rods in the mortar bed of the masonry wall in whichthey are placed.

This invention relates to masonry renforcements and in particular toreinforcements for masonry wall constructions.

In one form of masonry wall construction, a plurality of horizontallyextending courses of masonry blocks, such as cement blocks, are stackedone upon the other. A bed of mortar is conventionally disposed betweeneach successive course while bonding the blocks to form a unitary wallstructure. Such unreinforced block wall constructions, however, arerelatively weak as load stresses applied against the wall are notetficiently distributed thereover. To eliminate this disadvantage ofsuch block masonry walls, reinforcements have been placed in the mortarbeds between the respective courses. In one type of such reinforcement apair of spaced side rods are connected by a series of cross rods. Anexcellent example of such a reinforcement commonly used in the art isthat disclosed in Spaight United States Patent No. 2,300,181. Such areinforcement is commonly called a truss design masonry wallreinforcement. Another form of such renforcement commonly employed inthe art is similar to the above discussed truss design reinforcement butis provided with cross rodsextending perpendicularly between the siderods at spaced intervals.

Such reinforced walls have excellent resistance to forces acting againstthe flat surfaces thereof providing excellent distribution of suchforces in both running bond wall constructions (wherein the respectiveblocks of the successive courses overlap) as well as in stacked bondwall constructions (wherein the respective blocks of the successivecourses are vertically aligned). However, with such reinforcements,there is .a tendency for the mortar to slip relative to the side rodswhere forces acting longitudinally of the side rods occur. The presentinvention is directed to an improved form of reinforcement wherein meansare provided for eflectively positively precluding such slippage.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of anew and improved reinforcement for masonry Wall construction.

3,348,354 latented -Oct. 2 4, 1967 Another feature of the invention isthe provision of such a reinforcement having new and improved means forpreventinglongitudinal movement of the side rods of the reinforcementrelative to the surrounding body of cementitious material such asmortar.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcerrent wherein the rod movement prevention means comprises apluralty of grooves in the side rods having a new and improved design.

Stillan0ther feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcehient for masonry wall construction having a pair of'cylihdrical, metal, parallel, spaced side rods and apluralty of crossrods extending between the side rods, means'for providing eifectivelypositive retention of the side rods against longitudinal movementthrough a body"of surrounding mortar, the retention means comprisinginans in the'sid rods defining a plurality of axially aligned spacedgrooves, each groove opening radially outwardly and being defined by aradially inner, substantially planar bottom surface extending paralle]to the axis of the "side rod and having an axial length of approximately.024","an'd a pair of opposed, substantially planar side Wall surfacesextending 'angularly outwardly from the axiallyopposte ends of thebottom surface, the side wall surfacesbeng oppositely inclined at anangle of approxi mately deg1ees to the bottom surface, the depth ofthegrooves being at least approximately .014.

A yet further featur'e" of the invention is the provision of s'uch areinforcernent wherein the center of the grooves are spacedapproximately .125.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcement wherein the side rods further inelude an upset portion atthe rdially Outer end of one of the side wallsurfacesof the grooves anddefining a surface 'substantially coplanar with that side wall surface.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcement wherein the depth of the grooves ismade to be a directfunction of the diameter of the side rods in which they'are providedwhereby the spacing between*su'ccessive grooves is an iriverse functionof said diameter.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcement wherein the spacing between successive grooves of theplurality' is less than .08.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such areinforcement wherein a pair of substantially di- .ainetrically'oppositepluralities of said grooves is provided in the side rods.

In summary, the invention comprehends an improved grodvd'sderodstructure in a masonry wall reinforcement providing etfec'tivelypositive slip"prevention of the side rods relative to the mota'r bed inwhich they are disposed.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apprent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a masonry wallconstruction provided with a reinforcement embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the reinforc'ement;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary further enlarged diametrc section of the siderod of the reinforcement embedded in .abody of mortar in the wallconstruction;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary further enlarged portion of the illustrationof FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE is a fragmentary diametric section of a side rod with thedimensional relationships embodying the invention illustrated theren.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in thedrawing, a masonry wall construction generally designated is shown tocomprise a plurality of horizontal block courses 11, each formed of aplurality of masonry blocks 12, such as concrete blocks. Between thesuccessive courses 11 a bed of suitable bonding material such as mortar13 is provided. At the time the mortar is laid on the uppermost surfacesof the top course, a reinforcement 14 is set in the mortar to beembedded theren for reinforcing the joints between the respectiveblocks. In illustrating the invention, the reinforcement 14 is shown asa truss design type reinforcement, it being understood that otherreinforcements, such as the pependicular cross wire reinforcementdiscussed above, may be used.

As indicated briefly above, the invention comprehends providing in thereinforcement rod material an improved grooved construction serving tobond the rod against longitudinal movement through the mortar or othercementitious material in which it is embedded. In the truss designreinforcement illustrated in FIGURE l, the reinforcement is providedwith a pair of cylndrical, metal, parallel spaced side rods 15 joned bythe diagonal cross wires 16 to form the truss design. Each side rod isprovided with means for providing eflfectively positive retentionthereof against longitudinal movement through the mortar, which asillustrated in FIGURE 2 comprises a plurality of axially aligned spacedgrooves 17. In the illustrated embodiment four pluralities of suchaxially aligned spaced grooves are provided, at 90 degree intervalsaround the circumferential extent of the cylndrical side rod. Each ofthe pluralities herein is substantally similar and thus the descriptionof the grooves will be limited to the plurality of grooves shown in planin FIGURE 2, it being understood that each of the three otherpluralities may be similar thereto.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the mortar 13 flows downwardly into thegrooves 17 to define a looking portion 18 theren. By preselecting theaxial Width of the groove at the radially outer surface of the rod 15, apreselected high resistance to shear of looking portion 18 from the mainbody 19 of mortar bed 13 is obtained which effectively positively retansthe side rod 15 against longitudinal movement through the mortar bed.Further, by preselecting the flare of the grooves as illustrated in FIG-URES 3 and 4, the mortar may be made to flow readily down into thegrooves While yet the grooves provide vectorial force components in thedirection of the axis of the rod at least approximately equal to theforces acting radially thereon When a force tending to move the rodaxially through the mortar bed 13 is applied. Still further, the fiareof the grooves is preselected to permit facilitated construction of thereinforcement as by knurling. The invention further comprehends thepreselection of the spacing between the grooves to provide the desiredeffectively positive retention of the rodwithout excessive grooveformation theren. Still further the design of the groove is preselectedto permit a maximum axial groove Width by forming means such as knurlingwhile precluding flattening of the wire during such forming.

Thus, while grooves have heretofore been employed in such side rods forlooking the rods against longitudinal movement, the present inventioncomprehends an improved groove construction having dimensionalcharacteristics preselected to provide the above discussed features.

More specificially, as shown in FIGURE 5, the side rod 15 is providedwith a plurality of grooves 17, each provided With a radially inner, orbottom, substantially planar surface 20 extending parallel to the axisof the side rod. The surface 20 has an axial Width a. The radial depthof the groove is designated b. The opposite side wall surfaccs 21 and 22of the groove 17 are substantially planar and extend angularly outwardlyfrom the axially opposite ends of the bottom surface 20. The angle ofthe surfaces 21 and 22 herein is substantially similar and is designatedc. In forming the grooves 17 as by knurling, an upset portion 23 isprovided at the outer end of one side wall surface, such as surface 21,and includes an end surface 24 substantially copian-ar with surface 21.The height of the upset portion 23 is designated d. Thus, the radialdimension between the outermost portion of the groove as at theoutermost end of the portion 23 and the innermost portion of the grooveas at surface 20 is the sum of dimensions b and d designated e.

The axial Width of the grooves at the circumference 25 of the side rod15 is designated f. The center-to-center spacing between successivegrooves 17 is designated g. The spacing between successive grooves isdesignated h.

Side rod 15 herein illustratively comprises a metal wire, which may haveany one of a plurality of diameters such as .1875, .1620 and .1483(respectively nominally termed No. 8 and No. 9 wires). The inventioncomprehends providing the bottom surface 20 wth an axial dimension a ofa .024" irrespective of the rod diameter. The angle c of the sidesurfaces 21 and 22 is preferably approximately degrees. The depth of thegrooves b is preferably at least .014 and preferably varies as a directfunction of the diameter of the rod. Thus, the depth b for No. 9 wire ispreferably approximately .014, the depth for No. =8 wire is preferablyapproximately .016" and the depth for the Wire is preferablyapproximately .018".

The height d of the upset portion 23 is preferably approximately .003and, thus, the dimension e for the indioated wires is approximately.017", .019", and .021", respectively.

The Width f of the grooves preferably varies directly with the size ofthe rod. In the illustrated embodiment, the groove Width f for the No. 9wire is preferably approximately .052, for the No. 8 wire is preferablyapproximate ly .056", and for the wire is preferably approximately.060". The spacing g between centers of the respective grooves ispreferably constant for each of the different diameter rods and in theillustrated embodiment the dimension g is approximately .125". Thespacing h between the successive grooves 17 is preferably inverselyrelated to the diameter of the rod, and in the illustrated embodiment,is preferably approximately .073" for a No. 9 wire, approximately .069"for a No. 8 wire, and approximately .065 for a 7 Wire. Thus, the spacingbetween successive grooves as illustrated herein is preferably less than.08" for the illustrative range of rod diameters.

The improved groove design disclosed herein provides the highlydesirable features set forth above in a novel and simple manner. Thegrooves may be formed simply and expeditously by knurling, the groovedesign permitting the knurling operation with effectively optimumminimurn power requirements while providing the highly de sirablepositive rod retention features discussed above.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a reinforcement for masonry wall construction having a pair ofcylndrical, metal, parallel, spaced side rods and a plurality of crossrods extending between said side rods, means for providing effectivelypositive retention of said side rods against longitudinal movementthrough a body of surrounding mortar, said retention means comprisingmeans in said side rods defining a pair of diametrca=lly opposite seriesof axially aligned spaced grooves, said grooves being spaced apart afraction of an inch, each groove opening radially outwardly and beingdefined by a radially inner substantially planar rectangular bottomsurface extending right angularly chordally to the axis of the side rodand having an axial Width of approximately .024 inch, a chordal lengthof at least approximately one-half the diameter of said side rods, and apair of opposed, substantially planar side Wall surfaces extendingangularly outwardly from the axially 0pposite ends of said bottomsurface, said side wall surfaces being oppositely nclined at an angie ofapproximately 135 degrees to said bottom surface, the maximum depth ofsaid grooves being at least approximately .014 inch, said side rodsfurther including an upset portion at the radially outer edge of atleast one of said side wall surfaces and defining a surfacesubstantially coplanar with the side wall surface.

2. The reinforcement of claim 1 Wherein the depth of the grooves in saidside rods having a first diameter be- References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS9/ 1954 Canada. 5/ 1956 Switzerland. 1 1 196 1 Switzerland.

ing at least as large as the depth of the grooves in different 1 FRANCISZUGEL Primary Examine" side r0ds having a second, smaller diameter.

1. IN A REINFORCEMENT FOR MASONRY WALL CONSTRUCTION HAVING A PAIR OFCYLINDRICAL, METAL, PARALLEL, SPACED SIDE RODS AND A PLURALITY OF CROSSRODS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE RODS, MEANS FOR PROVIDING EFFECTIVELYPOSITIVE RETENTION OF SAID SIDE RODS AGAINST LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTTHROUGH A BODY OF SURROUNDING MORTAR, SAID RETENTION MEANS COMPRISINGMEANS IN SAID SIDE RODS DEFINING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SERIESOF AXIALLY ALIGNED SPACED GROOVES, SAID GROOVES BEING SPACED APART AFRACTION OF AN INCH, EACH GROOVE OPENING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND BEINGDEFINED BY A RADIALLY INNER SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR RECTANGULAR BOTTOMSURFACE EXTENDING RIGHT ANGULARYLY CHORDALLY TO THE AXIS OF THE SIDE RODAND HAVING AN AXIAL WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY .024 INCH, A CHORDAL LENGTHOF AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF THE DIAMETER OF SAID SIDE RODS, AND APAIR OF OPPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SIDE WALL SURFACES EXTENDINGANGULARLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIALLY OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BOTTOMSURFACE, SAID SIDE WALL SURFACES BEING OPPOSITELY INCLINED AT AN ANGLEOF APPROXIMATELY 135 DEGREES TO SAID BOTTTOM SURFACE, THE MAXIMUM DEPTHOF SAID GROOVES BEING AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY .014 INCH, SAID SIDE RODSFURTHER INCLUDING AN UPSET PORTION AT THE RADIALLY OUTER EDGE OF ATLEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALL SURFACES AND DEFINING A SURFACESUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE SIDE WALL SURFACE.